CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox announced Friday first baseman Andrew Vaughn has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Vaughn, 27, has been a mainstay in the White Sox lineup since the beginning of the 2021 season, playing 610 games. But 193 plate appearances into the 2025 season, he was slashing just .189/.218/.314/.581 with five home runs 19 RBI, seven walks and 43 strikeouts.

Other statistics like his 78th percentile average exit velocity and barrel percentage suggest he was getting unlucky and his results should have been better. General manager Chris Getz said there were multiple times this season when he thought Vaughn was about to break out.

But as time went on and Vaughn still hadn’t produced at the level he had in the past, Getz felt it was time to be proactive and make a move. He expects Vaughn to eventually return to the big league club.

“At this point, though, we can’t just rely on the expected numbers,” Getz said before Friday’s game. “The level of production that we need to see out of him and that position needs to be better. There’s some physical adjustments that can be made, and we’re going to dive into that.”

It can also serve as a mental reset for Vaughn.

“He used the word grinding. Grinding through this. It can be very taxing for a player,” Getz said. “So we view this as an opportunity for him to really slow down and regain the confidence. So sometimes it can just be a breath of fresh air to go to a different environment for a period of time. I do believe he’s going to take advantage of it. It takes its toll on major league players to navigate seasons and careers, it’s not always easy. It isn’t. These guys are highly competitive, they want to be great. But what comes with having those high expectations of yourself is some frustrating times and this game is very challenging. So, you know to be able to slow your world down on occasion can be very productive long term.”

The change of scenery will be especially different for Vaughn, who only played 55 minor league games prior to making his MLB debut. He’s played just two games in Triple-A, but that was on a rehab assignment during the 2022 season after he had played 127 games with the White Sox in 2021.

Getz said he had a good conversation with Vaughn about the move and feels it can be a good opportunity to reset. Broadly, Getz mentioned mechanical adjustments for Vaughn to make such as sinking up his lower half and upper half.

“I think he’s actually looking forward to taking a step back, slowing things down,” Getz said. “It’s a different competition level, different environment. Really get to work and not make adjustments at a high level like the majors leagues is. Knowing Andrew’s makeup and his determination, he’s going to get down there and get to work. He’s on his way down to Charlotte, and I’m sure he’s going to fight to get in the lineup as quickly as he shows up. But this really is a good opportunity for him to reclaim the player that we know he can be.”

“You put so much pressure on yourself as a hitter to be productive and sometimes the harder you try can be a detriment. At this point, we felt like it was necessary to go down there. We still believe in Andrew Vaughn. He knows he can be a productive Major League player. I imagine he’s going to take advantage of this.”